by Phillip Starr
Many contemporary xingyiquan schools espouse what is known as the “Five Element Theory” and how it correlates to their boxing art. The five elements include metal, water, fire, wood, and earth. The accompanying photo shows what is known as the Five Element Diagram, which consists of the Cycle of Generation and the Cycle of Control. The Cycle of Generation (the outer circle) shows how each element “generates”, or gives rise to, another element. Metal generates water, water generates wood, and so on. It's important to remember that the ancients weren't talking about the LITERAL elements of wood, fire, and such. Rather, the “Five Elements” represented five progressive stages of change. These are referred to as the “wuxing” in Chinese, which means “five shapes” rather than “five elements.”
Each elements possesses certain levels of Yin and Yang and as those levels change, each element is transformed into the next element. It is akin to the changing of the seasons (the Chinese consider late summer as a separate season), which are regulated by the changing of Yin to Yang and vice-versa.
The Cycle of Control (looks like a star inside the circle) illustrates how each element controls another in a system of checks and balances. Metals controls Wood, Wood controls Earth, and so on.
The Five Element Theory was/is used to describe interactions and interrelationships between the myriad phenomena of the universe. It is part and parcel of traditional Chinese medicine, military strategy, and other fields of Chinese thought.
Now, the famous neijia teacher known as Sun-Lutang stated that each of xingyiquan's basic five postures (techniques) was representative of a given element and that the movement associated with each one would subsequently affect the health of the related organ. For instance, the posture of pengquan belongs to Wood. If done correctly, it would allegedly enhance the functioning of the Wood organs, which are the liver and gall bladder. If done incorrectly, the functioning of these vital organs could be impaired.
He also taught how each posture is to be used to overcome another in accordance with the Cycle of Control. For instance, Metal controls Wood. The posture of piquan belongs to Metal. Therefore, if one is attacked by an opponent who executes a pengquan (Wood) type of technique, one should respond with piquan. Sun even developed a two-person set wherein the participants attack and defend according to the Cycle of Control...
The discerning practitioner will notice immediately that this way of training is more than a little impractical; nobody fights in such a manner unless they're in the process of producing a Grade B kung-fu movie. However, this is the way in which many schools trained their students. In his twilight years, Sun admitted that he had contrived the whole method primarily to fool the public at large; he desired that only certain “worthy” students should learn the true art. His ruse worked better than he could ever have imagined. To this day, many, if not most, xingyiquan schools continue to adhere to his deception.
Sun's teacher, the legendary Guo-Yunshen, had another disciple who became equally renowned throughout China. Wang-Xiangzhai, who founded the art of yiquan, had this to say about xingyiquan as it was being taught in the 1930's when Sun's method was popular (comments in parentheses are mine):
“It must be noted that xingyiquan, in its orthodox form, had no such stuff as the '12 form exercises', although there should be twelve forms of the body. Nor did it have the theory of mutual promotion and restraint of the five elements (the Generation and Control cycles). The five elements are five terms representing five forms of force, not methods or routines of shadow boxing.
I still remember instructions given by my late masters about the five elements of wood, water, fire, earth, and metal. 'Metal' refers to the strength in bones and muscle, which is as hard as diamonds and can sever gold or iron. 'Wood” refers to the force whose range of action is compared to the supporting shape of a tree. 'Water' refers to the force that is like surging oceans and dragons swimming in the sea, penetrating everywhere. 'Fire” refers to the force, which, like gunpowder, explodes and burns with a mere touch of the hand. 'Earth' refers to the solid, composite force that seems to have been produced by the joint action of heaven and earth. This is what is called the 'five elements combining into one', not the stuff of one form of boxing overcoming another (using the Control cycle), as some people are preaching nowadays. If one observes first and thinks twice in actual fighting (thinking about which “element” overcomes another), it is almost certain that he will be defeated long before he takes any action at all.”
Wang was a pretty straight-shooter and often shot form the hip. He said exactly what he thought and he often said what others thought but dared not to say. Sun was, after all, very highly respected. Who would dare contradict him? Wang didn't hesitate for an instant.
I have heard and read countless discussions about the application(s) of the Five Elements theory in xingyiquan. And while such things make for great subjects about which armchair enthusiasts can intellectualize, that's about all they're good for. Actual combat leaves little room for intellectualizing.
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